Halfway through July already and looking forward to the families ready to have their school summer holidays with us. What is there to do for children in the port of Soller is a common question at this time of year. The answer is the beach, the sea, the great choice of ice creams and then, if we compare our facilities to the resorts on the island which have spent serious money on installations and attractions, then we just fail. We have many families who always holiday here in July and August, and they have their own family routines. Beach, open air swimming pool and messing about with other children is a constant. The bubble park installation in the port of Soller was aesthetically unpopular with the adults but didn’t make enough money from the children either. That space lies empty these days. The sports centre around the outdoor pool has tennis and padel as options. We have a few small play parks and little else. No kids’ clubs at the hotels and even the pedalos haven’t arrived yet. I think the families who bring children here make their own family entertainment.
The pace is now changing, and more are finding their space on the beach and allowing those hot hours to pass with a book and the occasional dip in the sea. Locals are spending many hours at home turning the air conditioning on and off. Life clicks into being from around 7 pm and more find their way down to the sea for a swim or a meander and meet up. This is the season where it is common to see children playing until 11 pm with their friends. Upside down days to take account of the heat and blaze of the sun.
The cyclists are in short supply now and it’s too hot to walk the trails unless the start is super early. The mindset changes and some residents take trips to cooler climes. To leave Mallorca for a month in August is increasingly popular for families with places to stay in the UK. I have an Irish trip planned for August for that very reason. I know that the weather can be good there too, I just hope for a little relief from the ‘super-hot’.
Tomorrow, we have another Fiesta in the port of Soller. We are celebrating the Mare de Dieu de Carmen on Saturday. Around 9pm Carmen is taken out on a boat; the lights go off all around the port and the Bay is lit by flares. She is the Saint of the Navy and all who work at sea. We celebrate with a late picnic at the waterside, where, after welcoming Carmen back into the bay the lights are turned on again. A gentle gathering and part of the traditions of this place. When Soller was a Military base, the flares on the beach, were manned by sailors in crisp white uniforms. A spectacular sight in its day. Not quite so formal in 2023, but the heart of the occasion is the same. We all love Carmen.
The chatter in the Soller Valley right now is building up to the Spanish General Election. Many of us incomer can’t vote in this, but we read and talk and hold opinions. This means so much to so many. I really do hope everyone exercises their right to vote. Democracy, so hard won, needs the continuous vote of all who can.
The Lottery has interested me this week as one of the booths in Palma had the El Gordo tickets for sale. For those who don’t know, this is the big one of the year, which is drawn on December 22, 2023. This is a lottery which we all get excited about nearer the time. I parted with 20 euros to by my first of the year for this draw. Can you believe, in the heat of the summer that I have bought a Christmas lottery ticket? I wish you all luck if you rush out to do the same!
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